FAQs
What is Plan A?
Plan A is an update of Atlanta's Comprehensive Development Plan, also known as the CDP. It is Atlanta's guide for growth and development. Plan A will set forth the policies and implementation programs that shape how Atlanta and its neighborhoods will grow.
Why are we updating the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP)?
Regular updates to the CDP keep our policies and programs in-line with our city's needs and opportunities. The last CDP was adopted in 2016, and the City of Atlanta Charter mandates an update every 5 years. The Georgia Planning Act of 1989 also requires Atlanta to have a comprehensive development plan that meets the Georgia Department of Community Affairs(DCA)standards and procedures. Since the adoption of the last CDP, The Atlanta City Design: Aspiring to the Beloved Community was adopted into the City's charter in 2017. This is an unprecedented, major direction-setting framework for equitable, inclusive, and accessible growth for the City of Atlanta. Think of Atlanta City Design as a concept, or starting point, of our city's design. Like any good design, it requires that we continue working together to figure out the details at the scale of the city and in our neighborhoods where everyday life plays out. That's where the work Plan A continues. It reveals and uses all that makes Atlanta "Atlanta" as a basis for designing a future city that can acommodate a much larger population, and then proposes ways to improve and accentuate Atlanta's authentic character. This CDP is the next step to addressing change and growth using this guiding framework. Since its adoption into the City's charter, Atlanta City Design has also shaped other plans and initiatives, both completed and in-progress. These include:
Atlanta's Transportation Plan (2018) defines the challenges our City's transportation system faces and that the new ATLDOT (Atlanta Department of Transportation) is setting out to solve. It is the roadmap to achieving a transportation future when everyone will enjoy better access without having to rely so heavily on cars; when everyone will travel safely; and, when transportation options are affordable and available to all Atlantans and visitors.
Atlanta City Design Nature (2020) Atlanta City Design Nature is the first complete urban ecology framework that identifies specific ways to improve access to nature, address environmental and climate justice, and better protect, restore, and enhance Atlanta's natural resources.
Atlanta City Design Housing (2020)Atlanta City Design Housing tells a story about the past, present, and potential future of land use and zoning and its impact on housing in Atlanta. Its proposals are a result of over two years of research and analysis aimed to eliminate the structures of racism and discrimination that limit housing affordability and exacerbate inequality.
Future Places Project (2020) is an effort to ensure that Atlanta is well-positioned to champion and enact a wide range of historic preservation-related initiatives for years to come. These plans and initiatives have already benefitted from public and stakeholder input and will be reflected in the updated CDP. As proposed policies and actions are implemented or adopted, they will be vetted through the appropriate and required legislative and community reviews.
What is The Atlanta City Design: Aspiring to the Beloved Community?
Atlanta City Design is not a plan. It is an honest look at who we are as a city and our collective work towards achieving Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of the Beloved Community.
Atlanta City Design is an aspiration for the future city that Atlantans can fall in love with, knowing that if people love their city, they will make better decisions about it.
This view is one of a very different future premised on two ideas.
The first idea is that Atlanta is going to change; that not changing is not an option; that our change will involve significant growth; and that if properly designed, growth can be a powerful tool for shaping the Atlanta we want to become.
The second idea is that almost always, more people are better than fewer; that diverse population is better than a homogeneous one; and that the most strategic scenario for growth includes everyone.
There are two important aspects of this framework that we have begun weaving into our comprehensive planning as part of this CDP update.
- The first is addressing the challenges of growth in a way that values equity, progress, ambition, access, and nature-the core values of Atlanta City Design.
The second is applying the City Design approach to growth and development. In designing to be our best, we bring together these aspects of our identity and with our core values in mind:
- We design for People
- We design for Nature
- We design for People in Nature
In applying this approach, we have two naturally occurring areas:
- Growth areas- places that can accommodate growth and density
- Conservation areas- places that are less suited for growth and protect features we want to protect.
Why are we calling this CDP Update an "administrative update"?
Plan A started in 2020 - not an ideal year to take on anything as ambitious and important as updating the CDP. In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we discovered new virtual tools and methods to engage with each other, but human interaction is still severely limited. While virtual platforms allow us to expand our reach and include more people, there is no substitute for in-person meetings. This resulted in a decision to develop Plan A through a multi-year process. This year's update, phase 1, is an administrative one. As such it will:
- Meet the State requirements to maintain the City's Qualified Local Government (QLG) status so Atlanta can continue accessing federal and state funds for economic development, affordable housing and infrastructure.
- Begin aligning CDP Goals, Needs and Opportunities, and Policies to the Atlanta City Design Vision
- Reflect recent and ongoing planning initiatives across Atlanta
- Include the Future Land Use Map and Descriptions as of the June 2021 quarterly update
- Provide an updated Community Work Program (CWP) and a 2016 CWP Report of Accomplishments
- Document revised NPU policies and adopted small area/neighborhood plans since 2016
- Lay a foundation for a more robust update in 2022, phase 2, which will dig deeper into issues associated with density, land use and zoning while allowing for greater public interaction post-pandemic to have meaningful conversations that will be both virtual and in-person.
This CDP update is a snapshot of our work over the past five years and meets the requirements to keep Atlanta’s comprehensive development plan relevant.
What is the timeline for community involvement and when will the City adopt Plan A?
Community involvement for Plan A is now through summer 2021. City Council will consider adopting Plan A in October 2021. The 2nd draft of the plan was available for review and comment from July 27 through September 28, 2021. Visit www.atlcitydesign.com/2021-cdp to view the draft's online version and find locations to check out a hard copy version. THe 3rd draft was published on October 1, 2021 with a review and comment period from October 1-8, 2021. As a reminder, these are important upcoming dates for Plan A:
- October 1-8: Public Review and Comment Period for Draft III
- October 12: Final draft of Plan A published and submitted at 4th CD/HS Committee Meeting
- October 25: Rescheduled Final Virtual CD/HS Public Hearing for Plan A
- October 26: CD/HS Committee votes on the final draft of Plan A
- October 28: Special 3Q CDP Full City Council Meeting to adopt Plan A
What does "growth" mean?
For most, growth means increase in population. Atlanta is at a new population peak with over 498,715 residents. This level of growth and development is expected to continue. The Atlanta Regional Commission projects that the Atlanta region will grow by 2.9 million people, ballooning to a metro population near 9 million people by 2050. Atlanta City Design proposes the share of the city’s regional population to be much larger and suggests that the city of Atlanta could more than double its population to 1.2 million residents in a generation. Atlanta City Design considers the many needs and opportunities for designing Atlanta to accommodate growth and development so that people of all income ranges, generations, races, and education levels can thrive. We rely on comprehensive development planning to balance growth with development. A growing Atlanta impacts people differently which is why community involvement is so important in preparing Plan A.
For most, growth means increase in population. Atlanta is at a new population peak with over 500,000 residents. This level of growth and development is expected to continue. The Atlanta Regional Commission projects that the Atlanta region will grow by 2.9 million people, ballooning to a metro population near 9 million people by 2050. Atlanta City Design proposes the share of the city’s regional population to be much larger and suggests that the city of Atlanta could more than double its population to 1.2 million residents in a generation. Atlanta City Design considers the many needs and opportunities for designing Atlanta to accommodate growth and development so that people of all income ranges, generations, races, and education levels can thrive. We rely on comprehensive development planning to balance growth with development. A growing Atlanta impacts people differently which is why community involvement is so important in preparing Plan A.
Where is growth happening?
Growth and development happens all over Atlanta and the greater metropolitan region. However, we do see an imbalance of growth that favors prosperity for predominantly affluent, educated, and white neighborhoods while lower-income and Black neighborhoods generally experience low-growth or decline. The Atlanta City Design illustrates the idea that an imaginary "growth line" separates Atlanta into two parts: strong/stable growth to the north and low/no growth to the south.
The cause of Atlanta’s imbalance of growth is multifaceted—as is its solution. One significant way Atlanta City Design and Plan A is addressing this issue is by setting the framework for a more just Zoning Ordinance—one that supports a balance of jobs and housing in neighborhoods, and a variety of housing types affordable at many income levels.
To what extent will Plan A impact the City's budget?
In preparing Plan A, the Department of City Planning worked with stakeholder partners implementing infrastructure projects across the city, including City of Atlanta Departments of Watershed Management and Transportation, and prioritized actions in the 2022-2026 Community Work Program based on existing capital programs. These programs include the follwing
• Atlanta Department of Transportation Initiatives and Programs
• Atlanta Department of Watershed Capital Improvement Program
What are the plans to support growth and investment in Southwest Atlanta?
The Atlanta City Design, Atlanta's Transportation Plan, ACD: Nature, and ACD: Housing each include specific recommendations for policies and strategies that will support Southwest Atlanta. Plan A will include these policies, plus new policies pertaining to land use that will emerge from Plan A public participation. Between the Capital Improvements and Community Work Program elements, there is an opportunity right now for Plan A to provide strong policy guidance on implementing these policies and recommendations. Atlanta has a rich history of neighborhood planning. Small area and neighborhood plans, including ARC-supported Livable Center Initiative (LCI) plans, keep comprehensive development planning relevant. These plans are outcomes of the City collaborating with diverse groups of community organizations and neighborhood groups so residents and businesses can deeper explore their local needs and opportunities, and propose policies and actions not directly addressed in the CDP. When City Council adopts a small area or neighborhood plan, it is incorporated into the CDP and its recommendations are considered in future decisions over land use, zoning, infrastructure, and other city building activities. The table below lists the adopted small area and neighborhood plans amending the 2016 CDP. The Department of City Planning website contains a complete list of adopted, relevant plans that amended the CDP over a longer period. Several small area and neighborhood plans guide future growth and development in Southwest Atlanta.
How has Plan A evolved during the public review and comment period?
The Department released Draft I of Plan A on June 8, Draft II on July 27, and Draft III on October 1, 2021 for public review and comment. During the review and comment period, we received over 900 written email comments. We had over 150 attendees at the 3 virtual community meetings we hosted in June. We received several comments at these meetings as well as over 1,000 voicemail comments at the June 28 CD/HS CDP quarterly public hearing. We also received about 800 voicemails at the Public Hearing on September 27. We got feedback during small group discussions with leadership from a dozen Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) and during presentations to the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board (APAB).
The Department made several revisions to Plan A based on these comments and suggestions. A memorandum provided at the beginning of each working draft of Plan A documents the line-by-line changes. That memo supplements a summary of the comments in Plan A’s Appendix II.
The following are the most salient topics from the public review and comment period and the Department’s response.
Topic 1: Balancing Growth and Development with What Makes Atlanta Great — The most discussed topic by far is the approach to balancing Atlanta’s growing residential population and unprecedented development while protecting and enhancing the things that make Atlanta great—its people, diversity, residential neighborhoods, historic and cultural places, walkable urban core, tree canopy, streams and rivers, parks and trails, transit, and schools. Prefaced on Atlanta City Design’s recognition that change is coming and with it is the prospect for Atlanta to account for a larger share of the region’s population, the Department purposely drafted a comprehensive plan for a population that is at least double the city’s current size. And, this means planning for a future Atlanta with greater density and diversity while conserving the unique character and scale of neighborhoods.
Plan A in 2021 starts to align several plans and initiatives already implementing Atlanta City Design. Extensive technical analysis and public engagement will be needed in the next phase of Plan A to draw more connections across plan elements and overhaul the land use planning element, itself.
While preparing Plan A, a series of legislation (ordinances 21-O-0454, 21-O-0455, and 21-O-0456) proposing future land uses and zoning changes to support missing middle housing around MARTA transit stations and text amendments to the zoning ordinance for parking minimums and accessory dwelling units was introduced to City Council. This proposed legislation implements recommendations of Altana City Design: Housing, and it spurred most of the comments received during the public review and comment period for Plan A. In recognizing the need for further analysis and engagement, the Department revised policies supporting aspects to Atlanta City Design: Housing in Plan A’s Housing Element. These included making the following revisions to Draft I:
HC 4.1: Amend the zoning ordinance to allow attached and detached ADUs citywide. “Amend the zoning ordinance to allow attached and detached ADUs in more areas.”
HC 6.1: Amend the zoning ordinance to reduce residential parking requirements. (Remained)
HC 6.2: Amend the zoning ordinance to reduce minimum lot size requirements (Removed)
HC 7.1: Create fee simple subdivision for accessory dwelling units to promote affordable ownership options (Removed) Public discussion over the legislation continues, and the legislation will be considered for adoption after City Council adopts Plan A.
The proposed legislation prompted public discussion and comments, particularly among several NPUs, during the review period for Draft II. Most of these comments focused on the Land Use Planning element and how Growth and Conservation Areas, Future Land Use Categories, Character Areas relate to each other and guide zoning decisions, especially near transit stations and in residential neighborhoods. Acknowledging these comments, the Department responded by reiterating that Character Area geographies, policies, and preferred future land uses in the 2021 Plan A are substantively the same as they were recommended in the 2016 CDP. For example, transit-oriented development (TOD) character area policies continue to be considered along with overlapping character area policies when making zoning decisions. Additionally, the city-wide character area policy to protect existing single-family, low-density, and medium-density residential from incompatible higher densities and non-residential uses remains (see CW-2). But, the thrust of the comments reinforces the first Land Use Planning Element policy proposed in Plan A.
LU 1: Revisit the purpose of Character Area Planning and Future Land Use Planning. “It will take this and the next update to Atlanta’s comprehensive development plan to properly translate the Atlanta City Design vision and goals for the physical growth and development of the city. For this update, we are working with the existing policies and practices of Character Area Planning and Future Land Use Planning. We also recognize the need to revisit these policies and practices within the context of the ongoing rewrite of Atlanta’s Zoning Ordinance during the next update.”
Topic 2: Aligning Public Infrastructure with Growth and Development — A related topic to balancing growth and development is the need to invest in public infrastructure in places Atlanta City Design and Plan A direct new growth and development. The Department received comments regarding increased burden on stormwater infrastructure in growing residential neighborhoods and car traffic in corridors experiencing new mixed-use development—indicating a lack of public infrastructure investments to support the intensity of growth and development. As discussed above, the Department worked with stakeholder partners implementing infrastructure projects across the city, including City of Atlanta Departments of Watershed Management and Transportation, to prioritize actions in the 2022-2026 Community Work Program based on existing capital programs. The Department will carry this focus on implementation in Phase 2 of Plan A as it increases engagement with both the public and implementing partners to further align infrastructure with growth and development.
Topic 3: Limiting the 2021 CDP Update to a Minimal Administrative Update and Ensuring Meaningful Engagement — During the review period for Draft II, the scope of the administrative update and public engagement emerged as a third salient topic. The Department received many comments requesting that Plan A conform to the general goals, objectives, policies, and format of the 2016 CDP and only include updates that are legally required and/or mandated by the Atlanta City Charter or the State. As discussed earlier in this staff report, the 2016 CDP together with Atlanta City Design is the basis for the 2021 CDP update. Below are examples of Plan A reflecting the 2016 CDP and Atlanta City Design.
Example 1: 2021 CDP Policy Actions HC 4.1 Amend the zoning ordinance to allow attached and detached ADUs in more areas.
HC 4.2 Amend the zoning ordinance to support missing middle housing.
2017 Atlanta City Design Policy Actions
• 2.1d Missing Middle. Eliminate barriers to the development of small or attached housing, including accessory dwelling units, two- and three-family homes, small-scale multifamily buildings, tiny houses, micro-units, co-housing, shared housing and other models. Encourage the design of family-friendly multi- family units (p. 162).
2016 CDP Policy Actions
• Encourage a range of housing types, and promote mid-size development compatible in scale with single-family homes (“Missing Middle”), including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, bungalows courts, townhouses, multiplexes, and live-work (p. 58).
• Allow accessory units to provide for housing diversity and affordability (p. 228).
Example 2: 2021 CDP Policy Actions
HC 5.1 Amend the zoning ordinance to allow small apartment buildings near transit.
HC 6.1 Amend the zoning ordinance to reduce residential parking requirements.
2017 Atlanta City Design Policy Actions
• 2.1e Rethink Parking. Unbuckle the cost of parking from the cost of housing so people can choose to pay for parking or not. Eliminate parking requirements and set parking maximums where transit, walking and bicycles are real options (p. 162).
2016 CDP Policy Actions
• Encourage transit-oriented development to encourage mixed-income housing near job centers (p. 58).
• Create more dense, transit-oriented development (p. 82).
• Establish maximum parking requirements, encourage shared parking and alternative modes of transportation (p. 218).
• Maximize opportunities for on-street parking (p. 218).
The Department communicated the scope of the administrative update several ways over the past six months. The Department presented specifics about the administrative update with the CD/HS committee in March and at the June CDP quarterly public hearing. The Department discussed the scope at the April and August APAB meetings and at the June community meetings. The Department met with several NPU leadership groups, when requested, since April to discuss the scope of the update. The Department followed the guidance of both DCA and ARC to ensure that the scope discussed with the public and stakeholders meets the Minimum Standards for Local Comprehensive Planning. ARC and DCA instructed the Department that re-adopting the 2016 CDP 5-year update was not an option.
Drafting Plan A while relying on virtual engagement during the pandemic has been challenging. The Department has learned from this year’s experiences and will carry those lessons forward as Phase 2 public engagement and outreach strategies are developed and presented in early 2022 to City Council, NPUs, and other stakeholders and the public. The comments received during the public review and comment period for Plan A are all beneficial to the Department as it strives for more participatory and inclusive comprehensive planning.
What comments and responses did the Department receive from ARC and DCA?
The Department received advisory comments to improve Atlanta’s plan from DCA and ARC reviewers along with a determination that Plan A as drafted conforms to the Minimum Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning. The Department’s response to these comments will be in Appendix II, and below is a summary.
ARC/DCA - Community Goals: Character Areas — Reviewers commented that the Character Area section in the Land Use Planning Element could be improved by better defining the styles, types, forms and patterns of development encouraged in each character area. They suggested establishing a clearer vision and plan of action for future development in addition to adding details on specific implementation actions to be done in each character area.
• The Department agrees with the reviewers’ suggestions for improving character area planning. Character area geographies, preferred future land uses, and development policies have largely remained the same since being introduced in the 2011 CDP update. The Department views the work ahead to better align Atlanta City Design Growth and Conservation Areas with Character Areas and Future Land Use Categories as the most significant technical task to Phase 2 of Plan A.
ARC/DCA - Document Construction — DCA and ARC are strong proponents of plans that are well organized, concise, and usable. The reviewers suggested that the Department continue to focus on the comprehensive development plan’s brevity, clarity, and functionality.
• The Department shares the reviewers’ interest in making the CDP as usable and readable as possible for decision-makers and the public. The 2016 CDP is nearly 1,100 pages long, when including the 600-page Community Work Program—Plan A is several hundred pages less at around 700. Readers of Plan A can more easily navigate to sections using internal links between the table of contents and sections as well as bookmarks in the digital version of the plan. NPU policies and maps are particularly easier to find now that they are in their own appendix. The Department will also follow the reviewers’ recommendation and publish a stand-alone executive summary of the adopted plan in November. The Department set out to make Plan A much more readable and approachable with clearer writing, informative graphics, and selective, limited use of maps, tables, and charts—the Department will continue to improve the document’s construction in the next phase.
ARC/DCA - Community Work Program/Report of Accomplishments — Reviewers noted that the Report of Accomplishments of the 2016 Community Work Program included many actions that are noted as “long-term” indicating the community’s continuing desire to undertake those projects at some time beyond the 5-year planning horizon of the 2021 CDP. The reviewers suggested to pull these actions from the existing report and create a separate list of “long-term” projects to ensure that they are not “lost” in future updates.
• A separate “Long-Term Status” list will be in the final Report of Accomplishments.
How Can I veiw the staff report and presentation the Department gave to the CD/HS committee?
The CD/HS public hearing on September 27th has been rescheduled for October 25th. However, you can view the staff report the Department submitted to CD/HS on September 24th here beginning on p. 45—it provides an in-depth summary of Plan A. Additionally, you can view the presentation the Department will give to the committee on October 25th here.
What policies are proposed in Plan A?
Planning Elements are organized by starting with a Community Vision for each planning activity as well as prominent, long-term city-wide Goals from recent and ongoing Related Plans and Initiatives. Following Community Vision and Goals, and the Related Plans and Initiatives, Planning Elements turn to describing a set of urgent Community Needs and Opportunities and proposing Policies to address them. In contrast to community vision and goals, policies look to the short-term to guide day-to-day decisions to implement the CDP. Plan A consolidates the highest priority policies in 70 concise policy statements across the 10 Planning Elements (see below). Following each policy statement are one or more Policy Actions proposed for the community to take over the next 5 years when implementing the CDP.
Policies in Plan A:
Land Use Planning
LU 1 Revisit the purpose of Character Area Planning and Future Land Use Planning.
LU 2 Provide effective customer-focused design review, planning, approval, compliance, and assistance.
Transportation Planning
TP 1 Develop Vision Zero Program for Atlanta.
TP2 Make walking, bicycling, and other micro-mobility safer and more pleasant transportation options for all.
TP 3 Build a high-capacity transit network that supports Atlanta’s communities.
TP 4 Manage parking to balance the diverse needs of Atlanta’s merchants, commuters, and residents.
TP 5 Make it easier to access jobs and services without a car.
TP 6 Explore and create new opportunities for financing short- and long-term improvements, expansion, and maintenance of Atlanta’s transportation system.
TP 7 Deliver transportation projects faster and more efficiently.
TP 8 Improve freight movement while balancing the livability of neighborhoods in close proximity to truck routes, rail lines, and other freight transportation infrastructure.
Housing and Community Development Planning
HC 1 Invest $1 billion from public, private, and philanthropic sources in the production and preservation of affordable housing.
HC 2 Support inclusive and mixed income communities.
HC 3 Leverage the public’s wealth—federal, state, and local capital, funding, and land resources—to support shared housing goals.
HC 4 Enable the market’s ability to provide missing middle housing.
HC 5 Leverage transit and other infrastructure to maximize housing density in Atlanta’s Growth Areas.
HC 6 Maintain the low-density character of neighborhoods in Atlanta’s Conservation Areas by permitting housing types that gently increase density.
HC 7 Advance affordable homeownership opportunities.
HC 8 Continue regulatory reforms streamlining processes for constructing affordable housing.
HC 9 Develop high quality methods and standards for publicly-funded or otherwise supported affordable housing projects and programs.
HC 10 Make it easy for people to use existing programs, provide feedback, and keep track of the City’s performance.
HC 11 Address public health needs in housing and neighborhoods.
HC 12 Strengthen Atlanta’s ability to pursue equitable, fair, and just housing outcomes for vulnerable residents.
HC 13 Implement an anti-displacement strategy in neighborhoods facing increased economic pressures.
HC 14 Reduce the housing-cost burden for Atlanta’s most vulnerable residents: expenses like energy, repairs, and legal fees to renting or owning a home.
Local Economic Development Planning
ED 1 Address inequality of market outcomes and barriers to economic mobility for workers.
ED 2 Retain, attract, and expand businesses that bring good and promising jobs.
ED 3 Retain and attract a diverse workforce of people with a variety of backgrounds, abilities, talents, skills, and education levels.
ED 4 Drive resources and spending to local small businesses and neighborhood economies.
ED 5 Help more startups and small businesses in disinvested neighborhoods.
ED 6 Increase markets for AgLanta Grown products.
ED 7 Plan for a balance of jobs and housing in neighborhoods.
ED 8 Localize investment in neighborhoods that need it most.
ED 9 Raise the standards for public subsidy.
ED 10 Recognize the role of the arts as an economic driver.
ED 11 Invest in our neighborhood commercial districts with vibrant public spaces.
ED 12 Connect people to healthy food sources and systems in their neighborhood.
Broadband Internet Planning
BI 1 Evaluate the need for incentives or regulatory changes to expand broadband internet services to sites or areas with limited access.
BI 2 Explore incentives or regulatory changes to attract, retain, and support businesses and their workforces in high-growth industry sectors that depend on the latest broadband internet technology and skills.
Natural Systems and Resiliency Planning
NR 1 Commit City leadership to internal and cross-departmental coordination and processes to implement Atlanta City Design: Nature.
NR 2 Further develop relationships and build broader coordination between City departments and its partners.
NR 3 Protect and restore Atlanta’s tree canopy.
NR 4 Acquire and restore high quality forest land within the city.
NR 5 Integrate water resources management across multiple, mutually beneficial actions for wastewater, stormwater, green infrastructure, low impact development, asset management, operations and regulatory compliance.
NR 6 Maintain and improve existing parks and recreation facilities, while increasing access to these facilities and new public open spaces, greenways (through forested or vegetated corridors), and blueways (on rivers and streams) while also protecting and restoring native plant communities and the buffers along rivers and streams (i.e., riparian areas).
NR 7 Support foot, bicycle and other means of active transportation to access these greenways and blueways.
NR 8 Develop, integrate, and institutionalize urban agriculture and access to fresh food into policies, programs, and projects.
NR 9 Provide information and technical assistance on energy systems to help residents and business save energy and money and decrease their impact on climate change. Increase opportunity for renewable energy procurement across the city.
NR 10 Evaluate and implement new waste management programs to divert construction and demolition, yard debris, solid, organics, hazardous and other waste from landfills.
NR 11 Renew commitment to Atlanta’s Climate Action Plan.
NR 12 Continue education and outreach on resilience actions.
Urban Design
UD 1 Leverage phased implementation to more quickly implement and test new ideas in the public realm.
UD 2 Integrate urban design considerations into the City’s process for capital improvements.
UD 3 Invest in long-term public space improvements.
UD 4 Adjust the Placemaking Program to better focus on the creation of vibrant public spaces.
UD 5 Develop an approach for implementing Atlanta City Design’s nature spaces.
UD 6 Further develop the design concept, Design for Wildness, from Atlanta City Design.
UD 7 Design a cohesive trail network that connects Atlanta’s communities.
UD 8 Implement a design review process for development projects.
UD 9 Focus on communities that have been historically and intentionally neglected.
UD 10 Provide pathways for residents to take ownership of public spaces in their communities.
UD 11 Leverage art as both an education and activation tool.
UD 12 Educate Atlantans on Atlanta City Design and showcases the City’s ongoing work.
Historic Preservation
HP 1 Help people know.
HP 2 Help people understand.
HP 3 Help people share.
HP 4 Help people learn more about ourselves and our city.
HP 5 Recognize, keep, and protect what we value.
Public Safety Facilities Planning
PS 1 Promote resiliency in Public Safety Facilities Planning for Atlanta’s growing and diversifying population.
Neighborhood Planning
NPU 1 Ensure NPU boundaries and processes are updated regularly.
NPU 2 Instill the Department of City Planning’s Planning for Change commitment in its support of the NPU system.
What to expect next for Plan A?
This is just the beginning for Plan A. This CDP update is a snapshot of our work over the past five years and meets the requirements to keep Atlanta’s comprehensive development plan relevant. We updated the plan’s 10 Planning Elements and 3 Implementing Elements, but there is much more to be done, together. We will continue our planning process by building off our work and starting the second phase to Plan A in 2022. We will provide City Council CD/HS Committee and NPUs an update on Phase 2 of Plan A in the first quarter of 2022.
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